Kids and the heat

[cali2gagirl]

I just had some friends come back from SeaWorld , and they said the heat was almost unbearable!! We live in Atlanta..so I figured we'd be able to handle the humidity...but he said his girls DD8 and DD2 were soo hot and miserable
Definitly carry a spray mister, dress cool so the trip is more magical, not miserable!
Any other tips to keeping cool?

 

[elgerber]

We went in August with 2 kids. Mister fans were a must. My son also liked using one of those bandanas that has gel beads in it that you soak in water to keep cool. Make use of anything that sprays water, fountains, misters etc. Lots of water, my kids don't care much for water, but I made them drink some quite often. Very lightweight clothes, nylon type shorts and tanks. Afternoons in the pool!!! We were extremely hot while we were there, but I think everybody handled it quite well. Hit the parks early, then the pool in the afternoon when it's really hot. What suprised us was how unbearably muggy the evenings were. Mister fans are not just for daytime.

Erika

 

[NotUrsula]

Sunblock actually helps you feel cooler, because part of that hot feeling is the feeling of your skin being cooked by the sun. Buy large bottles of spray-on sunblock, and re-apply it every hour. (We did it in ride lines.)

Hats help a lot, too. Light colors, wide brims -- baseball caps are not sufficient for this purpose. Light-colored, loose fitting clothing is also important; dark colors absorb heat. Oodles of water; don't wait until they are thirsty. Always walk on the shady side of the street if there is one, and get off concrete anywhere that's possible. Wear sunglasses; eyestrain from glare increases irritability and causes headaches. Any time there is an opportunity for children to get wet, let them.

Carry an absorbent light-colored cloth to be used to wet down pulse points; I find that a flat cloth diaper is the most versatile for this purpose. Learn to properly recognize the signs of heat-related illness; it can easily become life-threatening: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/extremeheat/heatillness.htm

 

[swilphil]

My 3 year old prefers milk and juice over water, at least at WDW earlier this month he did. I usually limit the juice he drinks, but did keep juice boxes in the cooler for him and let him have it whenever he wanted. He also liked the mulit-colored Ice Pops that the ice cream vendors sell. Beware: the pictures make them look like their your average bomb pop size, but they are much bigger.

 

[bobcat]

Ahhh the Itzakadozzle, or however you spell it. They are monster popsickles so make sure you carry wet wipes!

Along with the other tips take time to sit inside the airconditioning. Also bring a small wash cloth to keep you cool. I always feel better if I can wash my face and hands off.

 

[Disney_1derland]

With a 14 month old, we braved the heat and humidity of August at Disney World. The sunscreen is key, so are the misters (warning, 14 month olds chew the foam fans off the misters LOL) buy both BEFORE you enter the parks to save lots and don't forget extra mister batteries. I personally prefer my Misty Mate personal cooling system and they now come in a smaller size and can be found at most walgreens type drug stores. No fan but you fill it, pump it and spray it. Fanning actually makes you hotter in the long run because as soon as you turn it off your body temp and the heat become realized and then you feel worse.

We each had one of the neck
gel packs (again, buy before you go) but they get kinda gunky and smelly and have to be disinfected each night to be usable the next day (at least ours did and we paid $12/on site)

The next part was suggested by our Ped. and I think was key for the little one. She drank 4ozs of water and then 4 ozs of pedialyte and alternated all day. we gave no juice, only pedialyte.

Good Luck and remember that the shops/shows and most modes of transport are air conditioned!

Lori

 

[JimB.]

I personally have found the "mister fans" to be useless. Every one I have ever used does not push enough air to be worth anything. With the high humidity of Florida, spraying water on someone and not being able to blow it hard enough to evaporate compounds the problem, not solve it.

What works for me?

1. a visor. NOT a hat. you do most of your cooling through your scalp. Cover it with a hat & you lose a SIGNIFICANT amount of your body's cooling ability.

2. Sunscreen. lots of it. I prefer the spray on alcohol based stuff. It is much less greasy or oily.

3. Water. Every time you pass a fountain, if only a swallow or 2.

4. The best thing for me..................... a wet washcloth that I soak in cold water from a fountain every chance I get. Wipe cool water on & off and respray the sunscreen. Works like a charm, & is much lighter than carrying around a heavy, bulky, useless fan & spray bottle.

5. lastly - walk in shade & through air conditioned shops as much as possible.